Disposable nurser



Dec. 15, 1964 F. E. BOSTON 3,161,311

DISPOSABLE NURSER Filed Jan. 30 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 90/7? A. .50.; for) I INVENTOR.

Dec. 15, 1964 E, BOSTON 3,161,311

DISPOSABLE NURSER Filed Jan. 30, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Frank E. 50:200

INVENTOR.

United States Patent 3,161,311 DISPGSABLE NURSER Frank E. Boston, Ravenna, Ohio, assignor to Eunhill International, line, New York, NEC, a corporation of Delaware Fiied Jan. 30, 1963, Ser. No. 255,915 4 Claims. Cl. 21511) This invention pertains to equipment utilized in feeding infants, and more specifically in infant nursing equipment.

This particular invention is an improvement over the present disposable-type nursers such as that disclosed in my earlier patent entitled Nurser, No. 2,624,485 issued on January 6, 1953.

It is a primary object to provide a nurser capable of closely approximating natural feeding.

Another prime object is the provision of a nurser having a portion that is readily and easily disposable.

A further object is the provision of a nurser having a disposable portion wherein said disposable portion may be attached to the nurser shell in such a manner as to render the entire device clean, sanitary, sterile, leakproo'f, easily transportable, rugged, strong, durable, easily storable and capable of quick assembly and disassembly.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment of the invention, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a front view of the nurser assembled and ready for use.

FIGURE 1A is a top plan view of the assembled nurser.

FlGURE 2 is a vertical section through a nurser similar to FIGURE 1 showing the collapsible container placed inside the outer container and a protective nipple cover mounted on the outer container and encompassing the nipple.

FIGURE 3 is a top plan view of the retainer ring.

FIGURE 4 is a sectional view of the ring of FIGURE 3 taken along lines 4ll of FIGURE 3.

FIGURE 5 is a perspective of a roll of sterile bags or containers utilized as collapsible containers in this invention.

Referring now to FIGURE 1, there is shown a nurser comprising a rigid container, shell or bottle 10, preferably made of a strong heat and milk resistance plastic material, although glass might be utilized. The gen erally cylindrical bottle slightly contracts circumferentially from the main body to the top, leaving a relatively wide mouthed opening 11 (see FIG. 2) at the top of the container or bottle. The top edge 13 of the container is slightly flanged inwardly as at 29 along its entire periphery for cooperation with the nipple in a manner hereinafter described.

The top of the container or bottle is circular in cross section and is provided with a screw thread 12 on its outside. The top edge 13 is relatively smooth and flat.

Beneath the lowest portion of thread 12 there is an annular guard lug 14. This lug is provided as a means for locking 2. bag retaining ring 15 in place.

Within container is disposed a collapsible and disposable bag 18. This bag is preferably constructed of a synthetic resin so as to render the bag liquid-tight, strong, flexible, transparent and heat and milk resistant. The bottom edge of the bag is sealed as along 19 to form a closed end container. The upper end of the bag remains open.

On the bag 18 being placed within container 10, the open top of the bag is turned back over the top of container 1t).

FIGURE 3 shows a plan view of bag retaining ring and FIGURE 4 a sectional view thereof. The ring is seen to be generally annular in shape having an inner circumference 43. This circumference is slightly less than the outer circumference 34 of the bottle top shown in FIGURE 2. oppositely directed tabs 35 are formed on the outer diameter of ring 15. These permit easy removal of the ring from the bottle. The ring is preferably constructed of rubber or other elastic material.

As previously described the open top of bag 18 is turned back over the top of container 10. The bag top then extends downwardly until the end thereof is positioned below flange 14. The ring 15 is then placed over the outside of the bag and below flange 14. In this manner the bag is prevented from being displaced while it is being filled or otherwise utilized, since the rings nonexpanded circumference is less than that of the outer portion of the bottle top and due to the elastic quality of the ring.

The diameter of the bag 13 is just great enough to allow the top to fit snugly over the thread on the top of the bottle when the top of the bag is turned back over the top of container 1%).

The nurser is provided with a nipple 21 held securely in place by a screw cap 22 and a nipple protector 23. The nipple protector, somewhat the shape of an inverted pot plant holder, fits snugly over the exterior perimeter of cap 22, as depicted at 24. The circular shaped top of the screw cap 22 has a circular hole 25 in its center, said hole being concentric With the outer circular perimeter of the top of the cap. Through said hole protrudes the lower end of the nipple. The upper tip of the nipple is perforated as at 26. The perforation may be round or preferably in the shape of an X or crosscut. The X or crosscut shape of the opening or perforation causes the nipple to act as a valve. The four resilient triangular portions 26a of the crosscut resiliently tend to close any opening absent the nipple being sucked on. Thus, on the nurser being inverted, absent an infant sucking on the nipple, the liquid container therein will not drip. The lower end or base of the nipple is provided with a circular flange 27, the outermost portion of which is adapted to rest on top the turned back portion of the bag which portion of the bag in turn rests on and is turned over the upper rim of the bottle mouth. Were it not for the bag being positioned, the outer peripheral portion of flange 27 would rest directly on said rim. Additionally, an upturned annular ridge 27a extending around the entire peripheral edge of flange 27 may be provided for sealing purposes. Further, flange 27 may be provided, on its under side, with an annular depending flange or ridge 28. As previously described, the top edge 13 of the container is flanged inwardly around its entrie periphery as at 29. Flanges 28 and 29 thus are mating flanges and eifectively serve to limit movement of the bag 18 when the nipple 21 is in place, and provide an effective leakproof seal. Further, it is seen that top edge 13, being flanged inwardly at 29, presents a rather broad flat surface, as differing from a rather sharp surface, thus resisting tearing the plastic inner container.

Screw cap 22 has a central portion and a downwardly de ending annular flange or skirt 30, said flange having an internal thread 31. Thread 31 coacts with bottle thread 12 to hold the cap in place. It is noted that the downturned end of the bag extends over the outside of the bottle top and downwardly over the bottle thread 12. However, it, the bag, is sufficiently resilient, flexible and strong enough to not interfere with the meshing of threads 12 and 31. In fact, when the cap is screwed all the way down it makes a watertight, milktight and air tight seal with the bottle and nipple-the rubber nipple and the bag serving as gaskets.

A portion of the screw cap 22 extends radially into annular groove 32 of the nipple, near the nipples base bination of: a

(see FIG. 2). The groove which, by coacting with the screw cap, firmly seats the nipple and prevents it from being dislodged into the fluidcontaining bag. 7

As shown in FIGURE 2, when liquid is placed in the bag, it deforms to assume the approximate shape shown. Since the bottom 17 of the bottle is open and there are open slits 16 in the sides of thebottle, the interior of the bottle is maintained at atmospheric pressure. As the contents of the bag are withdrawn, the bag partially collapses. Thus the external atmospheric pressure, by causing the bag to collapse on its contents being Withdrawn, prevents the formation of a partial vacuum within the bag. V

The roll of sterile bags are illustrated in FIGURE 5. Each bag is sealed at one end such as at 38 and 39.. At' the other end are perforations 41, 42. As one bag is severed along the perforations a fresh supply is readily available. After each use of the nurser, the plastic bag maybe discarded, thus abolishing the necessity for sterilizing the nurser'after each usage thereof. This proves to be especially handy during a trip or voyage.

forms an overhanging shoulder Thus the bottle or container provides strong,sleakproof j useful means for securing the bag to the nipple and protecting the bag while in storage. While previous attempts have been made to, solve the problem, none have been able to satisfactorily join the bag and nipple in a manner allowing quick assembly and disassembly as well as tightly joining the interacting parts while the nurser s in use.

While a preferred embodiment of the invention has been shown and described, it is obvious that many other modifications could be made by one skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the'invention. It is intended to protect by letters patent all forms of the invention falling within the scope of the following claims.

Iclaim:

1. In-a nurser designed for infant feeding, the comanouter shell having a' plurality of openings. therein including an opening at its top, exterior threads near said top and an exterior annular lug disposed below said threads; screw cap comprised of a top portion, a circular nipple receiving opening in the center of said top, and a depending annular skirt portion having interior threads releasably mated with the threads on said shell; a nipple having an annular flange near its base, said flange being so dimensioned as to rest on'the top of said shell between said shell top and said cap top,

said nipple having a portion so proportioned as'to allow removable thrusting through said cap top opening thereby positioning said nipple with respect to said cap and said shell; I

sack-like inner container partially disposed within said container to said shell, said sealing means having 'said top and an exterior annular lug disposed below said threads;

a screw cap comprised of a top portion, a circular nipple receiving opening in the center of said top, and a depending annular skirt portion having interior threads releasably mated with the threads on said shell; V

a nipple having an annular flange near its base, said "flange being so dimensioned as to rest on the top of said shell between said shell top and said cap top,

'said nipple having a portion so proportioned as to allow removable thrusting through said cap top opening thereby positioning said nipple with respect to said cap and shell;

sack-like inner container partially disposed within said shell and having its top extending overly outwardly and downwardly around said shell top and below said nipple flangeand having a portion of said container top disposed between the threads of said shell and said cap when said threads are mated, and a portion of said container top disposed below said lug; and v said nipple further including a downwardly depending annular ridge of such a diameter as to compress an annular portion of said containers top between said ridge and the inner perimeter of said shell top when said nipple is mounted on said shell, thereby barring airpassage between said ridge and said container.

4. In a nurser designed for infant feeding, the combination of:

.an outer shell having aplurality of openings therein including an opening at its top, exterior threads near said topand anexterior annular lug disposed below saidthreads; I

screw cap comprised of 'a top portion, a circular nipple receiving opening in the center of said top,

and a depending annular skirt portion having interior threads releasably mated with the threads on said shell; I i

a nipple havingan annular flange near its base, said flange being so dimensioned as to rest on the top of said shell between said shell top and said cap top, said nipple 'having a portion so proportioned a as to allow removable thrusting through said cap top opening; Y

sack-like container partially disposed within said shell andhaving its top extending overly outwardly and downwardly around said shell top and below said nipple flange and having a portion of said container top disposed between the threads of said shell and said cap when said threads are mated, and a portion of said container, top disposed below said lug; elastic sealing means removably positioned around said portion of said container below said lug securing said container to said shell, said sealing means having its upward motion limited by said lug, said sealing means having handle portions; and

. said nipple further including a downwardly depending annular ridge of such a diameter as to compress an annular portion of said containers top between said ridge and the inner perimeter of said shell topwhen said nipple is mounted on said shell, thereby barring air passage between said ridge and said container.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,831,596 4/58' Eyles 21511 12,859,891 1 1/58 Carkin 215-11 2,907,485 10/59 Lunden 2l511 2,970,595 2/61 'Blanchett 215-11 2,987,209 6/6'1* Leonard 215-11 2,987,212 6/61 Scanlon 2l599 3,061,129 10/62 Fitz Gerald 215-11 FRANKLIN'T. GARRETT, Primary Examiner. 7,5 JEARLE, J. DRUMMOND, Examiner. 

1. IN A NURSER DESIGNED FOR INFANT FEEDING, THE COMBINATION OF: AN OUTER SHELL HAVING A PLURALITY OF OPENINGS THEREIN INCLUDING AN OPENING AT ITS TOP, EXTERIOR THREADS NEAR SAID TOP AND AN EXTERIOR ANNULAR LUG DISPOSED BELOW SAID THREADS; A SCREW CAP COMPRISED OF A TOP PORTION, A CIRCULAR NIPPLE RECEIVING OPENING IN THE CENTER OF SAID TOP, AND A DEPENDING ANNULAR SKIRT PORTION HAVING INTERIOR THREADS RELEASABLY MATED WITH THE THREADS ON SAID SHELL; 